Apparatus for lifting heavy oil



March 29, 1955 G. L. GUSTAFSON APPARATUS FOR LIFTING HEAVY OIL Filed Nov. 30, 1953 INVENTOR. GOTTFRLD L. GUST/4 7150M A TTOR/VEM United States Patent Office 2,704,981 Patented Mar. 29, 1955 APPARATUS FOR LIFTING HEAVY OIL Gottfrid L. Gustafson, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Application November 30, 1953, Serial No. 395,113

4 Claims. (Cl. 103-72) This invention relates to an apparatus for lifting heavy 011 from a relatively shallow depth, and in which a continuously revolving chain is caused to be immersed within the heavy oil, causing the oil to cling to the links gf the chain and thus carrying the heavy oil to the surace.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel means pf wiping the oil from the chain as it reaches the surace.

Another object is to provide a novel means of holding the chain taut within the casing of the oil well.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel basket construction which also serves as a weight at the bottom of the pumping or lifting apparatus to provide a guide for the lower sheave of the pump, and also a means of mounting this lower sleeve.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of my apparatus for lifting heavy oil.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the upper part of the lifting apparatus taken from the line 22 of Figure Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure Filgure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a casing which extends downwardly into the well, a casing head 2 is mounted on the upper end of the casing 1 and is provided with a spout or chute 3 through which the pumped oil passes, as will be further described. My pumping or lifting apparatus consists of the following structure: A sheave 4 is rotatably mounted in the head 2 on a shaft 5 which is journaled in the head. The shaft 5 is rotated by a suitable engine or prime mover, all of which is usual and well known. The sheave 4 is provided with tapered side flanges of considerable depth, so that a considerable amount of material can be accumulated between the flanges of the sheave. The flanges are also tapered inwardly, substantially as shown in Figure 2. An endless chain 6 extends around the sheave 4- and extends downwardly within the casing 1 to a point below the normal level of the oil within the casing. A second sheave 7 is positioned at the lower end of the endless chain 6 and the chain also encircles this sheave. The sheave 7 is mounted on a bracket 8 and this bracket is rotatable on a pin 9. The pin 9 is mounted in a spider 10 which is fixedly attached to the basket 11. The basket consists of an annulus of rods 12, these rods being of considerable length and having a material weight so as to hold the chain 6 taut at all times. The rods 12 are held in proper position and alignment by an upper ring 13 and the spider 10. Thus it will be evident that the chain 6 extends partially within the basket 11, and this basket being somewhat smaller than the casing 1 will not only properly align the chain 6 but will also serve to hold it taut. The bracket 8 being rotatable on the pin 9 can readily align itself with the upper sheave 4.

A metal scraper 14 is mounted within the head 2 and extends between the tapered flanges of the sheave 4, the inner end thereof engaging the chain 6. The heavy oil carried upwardly by one reach of the chain is accumulated between the flanges of the sheave 4 and is then scraped off onto the wiper blade 14, and then drops through the chute or outlet spout 3. The chain 6 is con- 8 tinuously rotated, due to the rotation of the shaft 5 and the sheave 4. The lower sheave 7 being positioned within the annular basket 11 is protected as it is lowered in the casing 1, and also is guided to a position where it will properly align with the upper sheave 4. The rods 12, which form the basket, are spaced a suitable distance so that the heavy oil can readily pass between them.

Having described my invention, I claim:

I. An apparatus for lifting heavy oil from an oil well, including a casing forming the well, a head on said casing, a sheave mounted in said head, a drive shaft journaled in the head, said sheave being mounted on the drive shaft, a chute projecting from the head through which the heavy oil passes, a metal scraper mounted in the head and projecting inwardly from the lower surface of said chute and extending into the sheave, an endless chain encircling the sheave and extending downwardly into the casing, a bracket, a second sheave journaled in said bracket, said chain encircling the second sheave, an annular basket of lesser diameter than the casing, and means rotatably mounting said bracket in the basket, said basket being formed of spaced vertically extending rods, each of said rods being of material length to provide a basket of appreciable weight.

2. An apparatus for lifting heavy oil from an oil well, including a casing forming the well, a head on said casing, a sheave mounted in said head, a drive shaft journaled in the head, said sheave being mounted on the drive shaft, a chute projecting from the head through which the heavy oil passes, a metal scraper mounted in the head and projecting inwardly from the lower surface of said chute and extending into the sheave, an endless chain encircling the sheave and extending downwardly into the casing, a bracket, a second sheave journaled in said bracket, said chain encircling the second sheave, an annular basket of lesser diameter than the casing, a spider fixedly mounted in the basket, a pin rising from the spider, said bracket being rotatably mounted on said pin.

3. An apparatus for lifting heavy oil from an oil well, including a casing forming the well, a head on said casing, a sheave mounted in said head, a drive shaft journaled in the head, said sheave being mounted on the drive shaft, a chute projecting from the head through which the heavy oil passes, a metal scraper mounted in the head and projecting inwardly from the lower surface of said chute and extending into the sheave, an endless chain encircling the sheave and extending downwardly into the casing, a bracket, a second sheave journaled in said bracket, said chain encircling the second sheave, an annular basket of lesser diameter than the casing, a spider fixedly mounted in the basket, a pin rising from the spider, said bracket being rotatably mounted on said pin, said basket being formed of spaced vertically extending rods, each of said rods being of material length to provide a basket of appreciable weight.

4. An apparatus for lifting heavy oil from an oil well, including a casing forming the well, a head on said casing, a sheave mounted in said head, said sheave including tapered side flanges of considerable depth and in which said flanges are about twice the length of the hub of the sheave, said flanges being tapered inwardly, a drive shaft journaled in the head, said sheave being mounted on the drive shaft, a chute projector from the head through which the heavy oil passes, a metal scraper mounted in the head and projecting inwardly from the lower surface of said chute and extending into the sheave, an endless chain encircling the sheave and extending downwardly into the casing, a bracket, a second sheave journaled in said bracket, said chain encircling the second sheave, an annular basket of lesser diameter than the casing, and means rotatably mounting said bracket in the basket, said basket being formed of spaced vertically extending rods, each of said rods being of material length to provide a basket of appreciable weight.

Great Britain Dec. 4, 1929 France Nov. 4, 1919 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR LIFTING HEAVY OIL FROM AN OIL WELL, INCLUDING A CASING FORMING THE WELL, A HEAD ON SAID CASING, A SHEAVE MOUNTED IN SAID HEAD, A DRIVE SHAFT JOUR, NALED IN THE HEAD, SAID SHEAVE BEING MOUNTED ON THE DRIVE SHAFT, A CHUTE PROJECTING FROM THE HEAD THROUGH WHICH THE HEAVY OIL PASSES, A METAL SCRAPER MOUNTED IN THE HEAD AND PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID CHUTE AND EXTENDING INTO THE SHEAVE, AN ENDLESS CHAIN ENCIRCLING THE SHEAVE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO THE CASING, A BRACKET, A SECOND SHEAVE JOURNALED IN SAID BRACKET, SAID CHAIN ENCIRCLING THE SECOND SHEAVE, AN ANNULAR BASKET OF LESSER DIAMETER THAN THE CASING, AND MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID BRACKET IN THE BASKET, SAID BASKET BEING FORMED OF SPACED VERTI- 